Flu Outbreak 2014-2015: Season Far from Over in the U.S. -- CDC [News Update]

Influenza (flu) season is far from over as more and more people in the U.S. catch the virus, with an apparent spike in the number of states already "feeling" its presence.

In a report by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last updated on January 5, some 43 states are already experiencing widespread influenza activity, a jump from the previous week's reported 36 states. Puerto Rico and six other states have reported to have regional geographic influenza activity, CDC said.

As for influenza-like illness (ILI), 29 states and Puerto Rico have experienced high ILI activity, another increase from the previous week's recorded 22 states. Twenty-one states, however, reported minimal to low ILI activity.

There has also been an observed increase in the proportion of people seeing their health care provider for ILI. The said number increased to 5.9 per cent, which is higher than the national baseline of 2 per cent.

As for the number of pediatric deaths, the CDC recorded six influenza-associated pediatric deaths for the week ending on December 27, increasing the total number of influenza-associated pediatric deaths to 21 for the 2014-2015 season.

The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was still at 6.8 per cent based on the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System, with more deaths being seen than expected.

Meanwhile, CDC still recommends flu vaccination as it could prevent infection and also prevent serious flu-related complications in many people, according to the federal agency. CDC continues to urge the public to have themselves vaccinated even those who already got the flu to protect against other strains of viruses which are said to further circulate in the later season.

CDC reported that an estimated 145.4 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine had been distributed as of December 5 last year.

Those with the disease and possibly get the disease are recommended to take flu antiviral drugs, especially by people "very sick with flu or people with the flu who are at high risk of serious flu complications," CDC said as these drugs are described as "a second line of defense against the flu to treat flu illness".

CDC also mentioned three flu antiviral drugs approved and recommended for use this season. These include oseltamivir (Tradename Tamiflu®), zanamivir (Tradename Relenza®) and peramivir (Rapivab®).

Still, CDC forecasts that the U.S. is likely to further experience flu activity in the next weeks while spreading to other states not yet fully affected by the disease.